Artist/analyst  discovers the joys of art making – in minutes.

I preach it in my workshops – and to anyone who will listen: “Do something creative – ten minutes a day.” I know about the dramatic impact of daily creative activity – how it changes the way we look at things, and how we approach problem-solving.  But every time I see what Leslie Howard produces consistently – I’m talking every day – I’m knocked out.

Leslie is a Los Angeles psychoanalyst writing a complex dissertation for her doctorate degree. She has been spending most of the last 5 years reading, writing, and working with patients. But somehow, she manages to stay true to her commitment: making art from trash – the tiniest of throwaways – and recording the little sculptures on her iPhone. She made over 300 of them last time I checked. She will soon complete a full year.

They are beautiful, whimsical, and sometimes daunting. Daunting because you can’t imagine how anyone can produce another month’s worth of compelling forms. They are tossed out gum wrappers, for heaven’s sake. How does she find so many new ways of re-inventing them? Well, I think the answer is in the task: the more we create, the more ideas flow.